Queue: Dark comedies

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You are sitting in bed after an especially long day and want to watch something, but you don’t have time for a movie. As a matter of fact, you don’t even have time for a 40-minute-long show and all the emotional turmoil it would entail. It’s just been one of those days, and you’re seeking something to settle you down before you sleep. Stumbling upon any of these three shows on Netflix is the perfect choice for such a situation. These three dark comedies, with episodes shorter than 30 minutes, are perfect for a little late-night Netflixing to take the edge off a long day. You’ll go to bed feeling better, mostly because you know your life can’t possibly be as bad as those of any of these characters.

Bojack Horseman: 5/5

Bojack Horseman is the perfect dark comedy series, blending amazing animation style with adult content. There is nothing quite like watching a washed-up star who has not seen the spotlight since his hit sitcom series, “Horsin’ Around,” struggling through his lonely adult life. It sounds like a downer — and sometimes it is — but mostly it’s hilarious. Whether Bojack is attempting to right past wrongs with his former friend Herb Kazzaz or escaping to New Mexico in an attempt to fall in love with Herb’s former flame Charlotte, Bojack cannot seem to get it right. Also, did I mention that Bojack is a horse? The world he lives in seems to have an even divide between animals and people, all co-existing in an absurd world filled with lots of puns.

Louie: 4.5/5

Louie, on an episode-by-episode basis, is the darkest show on this list. It never gets viewers quite as down as “Bojack Horseman,” but it manages to create an atmosphere that is constantly dreary. This may be due to the show having actors as opposed to animations, as well as its being set in New York City. Watching Louie go about his everyday life as a single, overweight, balding, redhead comedian with two young daughters is extremely amusing. Louie does not seem to be able to get a date, his life is boring and one of his daughters loves her mom more and isn’t afraid to let him know it. Amid these very raw human moments are many laughs and often very touching moments in which he demonstrates his love for being a father, scattered between his bumbling attempts at relationships and occasionally flipping his daughter off.

Archer: 4/5

Archer is not dark in the same sense as the other two shows. “Hopelessly depressing” isn’t really its niche. Instead, Archer excels in exaggerating the sexist secret agent cliche. The main character, Sterling Archer, has an odd, hostile relationship with his mother and works alongside his ex-girlfriend Lana as he engages in heists, security details and assassinations. He shoots people left and right, sometimes even his co-workers. The show mocks corporate structures, counter-culture movements and rapidly advancing technology. Whether it’s the odd assortment of office workers, the ever-angry Lana or the always idiotic Archer, the show is endlessly entertaining.